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The Division of Institutional Advancement (DIA) at Jackson State University is pleased to announce David Howard as interim director of Alumni and Constituency Relations.
Howard joined JSU in 2005 as the operations staff assistant in the Department of Finance. He later began working for DIA in 2010 and has since served as a development officer and manager of Information Systems.
Most recently, Howard served as the researcher/programmer analyst for Institutional Advancement, where he was responsible for answering questions about online giving, generating reports, and conducting research on prospective donors. He also prepared reports for the vice president and Office of the President on major and planned-gift prospects; served as the liaison and technical support for Development Foundation scholarships in AcademicWorks, and distributed communications via Constant Contact for DIA projects.
He has also served as a co-chair for the Presidential Inauguration and the First Lady’s Scholarship Luncheon; committee member for the 2020 Legacy Wall Unveiling; and the current project manager for JSU Day of Giving, where in August 2020, JSU exceeded its goal of $400,000 and raised over $600,000 during the event.
As the interim director of Alumni and Constituency Relations, Howard will lead the department in building alumni engagement and increasing financial support from a pool of diverse alumni worldwide. Additionally, he will work with alumni to increase the alumni participation rate (APR), the percentage of alumni who give back to their alma mater. The APR is readily used by corporations and foundations when considering the amount of financial support to give to the university. As interim director, Howard also serves as the executive director of the JSU National Alumni Association, Inc., (JSUNAA) and will work collaboratively with the association board members and chapter presidents to engage alumni to help meet goals for JSU.
“As a proud Jackson State alumnus, David Howard has the knowledge, energy, and skills needed to galvanize the support of our alumni of all ages to increase alumni giving and participation at Jackson State University,” said Veronica M. Cohen, vice president for Institutional Advancement and External Affairs. “We look forward to working with him and the JSUNAA to further develop strong relationships between the alumni and our esteemed university.”
“I’m excited about the potential to engage alumni with the collective energy of JSU, DIA, and the JSU National Alumni Association, Inc.,” said Howard. “Together, we will create a massive amount of momentum that will encourage our alumni to give, volunteer, recruit and serve more.”
Howard is a native of Clarksdale, Miss., and a 2003 graduate of Jackson State University with a Bachelor of Science in computer science. As a husband and father, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two children. He also enjoys reading, going to the gym, and pursuing new and challenging ventures. Howard credits his parents for his career success – having his mother’s motivation and perseverance and his father’s enthusiasm and creativity.